"Social media has destroyed homes": Gendered discourses and representations on Twitter interaction around the rise of divorce cases in Saudi Arabia in 2022.

Abstract

Twitter offers a rich site to collect data to on social issues considering its popularity in Saudi Arabia. The study investigates gender roles and relations in Twitter discourse as Saudi society is undergoing a shift towards greater inclusivity of women. It draws on Martin and White's framework of Appraisal theory (2005), van Leeuwen’s (2008) Social Actor Analysis, and Charteris-Black's (2004) Critical Metaphor Analysis. The study demonstrates how language, gender roles and relations, and gendered discourses are connected discursively. The analysis is based on a corpus of 1535 tweets collected from Twitter. All tweets in the corpus react to the announcement of the increase of divorce cases in Saudi Arabia in 2022 which sparked widespread public reaction online. The data is largely shaped by negative stances towards women, men, SM and divorce. The tweets are largely shaped by negative Tenacity and Capacity Judgement of women and men. Women are constructed as irresponsible and dependent while men are portrayed as incapable and overburdened by their roles as provider. The analysis also reveals asymmetrical representation patterns of women and men. Women are predominantly activated in negative actions. Men, in contrast, are frequently passivated as victims of women's social expectations and economic pressures, particularly the financial burdens of marriage. The discourse draws on negative female stereotypes to delegitimise women's agency and attempts to define appropriate womanhood. This representation also aims to construct men as victims of women and society. The metaphor analysis identifies recurrent conceptual mappings on how social changes are perceived and constructed negatively. Metaphors work as a discursive tool for negotiating anxieties and fear about shifting gender roles the perceived threat posed by SM which are viewed as destabilisation of family structures. Metaphors are also used to serve evaluative function. The study contributes to multidisciplinary fields related to sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, digital discourse, gender studies, and cultural studies.